Thursday, July 14, 2011

Life is not a "brief candle." It is a splendid torch that I want to make burn as brightly as possible before handing on to future generations. —George Bernard Shaw

We are men who have sought intensity. Some have said the extremes of our past were a kind of search for a Higher Power, although we went to self-defeating ends. There is no need now for us to give up our intense love of life. Serenity need not be bland. In facing ourselves, confronting our pain, surrendering our arrogant individualism, we are released to live the life we deeply desire.

What do men really want? We want to have true, lasting friendships with other men and women - to be at peace with our Higher Power and ourselves. We want to be fully aware in the present moments of our lives. We want to have some joy and to make a contribution to the world.

I am grateful that my torch burns brightly. I am finding what I really want.

Self-esteem in responsible work"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might," goes an ancient saying. However long ago this was said, it applies to our work here and now.

Part of recovery lies in doing useful and satisfying work. We can't wait until the "perfect" job appears. Our success will come in doing the very best we can in our present situation. If we're unemployed, we can still be useful and active in ways that will help us find the right situation.

And as we work for a living, we'll find that another important benefit of our work will be greater self-esteem. We'll have more respect for ourselves as we contiue to be both productive and active.

Action for the Day: Whatever my job is, I'll give it my best today. I'll be grateful for having the opportunity to work productively.

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One Day At A Time

ListeningSometimes, the body can speak an eloquent language all its own.I see and feel that in meetings. So coming to meetings of AAis a priceless experience for me on a great many levels --mental, spiritual, social, emotional, and now possibly physical.Listening quietly is already a joy to me,and if it calms me down and lowers my blood pressure in the process,that's just another great reason to keep coming back. - Thank You For Sharing, p. 27

Thought to Ponder . . .Learn to listen; listen to learn.

AA-related 'Alconym' . . .T L C =Tears, Laughter, Caring.

********************Daily Motivation

Opportunity of disappointment

Sometimes a disappointment can be the best thing that could happen to you. It’s difficult when things don’t work out as you expected, and yet it can also be a source of new opportunity.

A cold, hard dose of reality, in the form of a disappointment, will sting at first. And then what happens is, you get stronger.

Disappointment will bring you face to face with some of your most pivotal weaknesses. That provides you with the awareness and the opportunity to grow stronger in ways that really count.

The experience of ineffectiveness will often help you see new ways in which you can be more effective. When you’re clear about what doesn’t work, you are closer to understanding what does work.

There is positive value in every experience. That is especially true when it comes to disappointment.

Look at the disappointment as your chance to come back even stronger. Then pick yourself up and do precisely that.

In the BLGTQI community we focus a lot on our outer appearance. How’s my hair? How do I look in this outfit? Does my make-up look good? I’m I too thin, or too fat? We can spend hours at the gym working out without any hesitation. But when it comes to working on our inner being, our soul, we tend to avoid it like the black plague. Many of us don’t even know where to begin.

My hope is that this post will help you figure out how to begin your “Work-In” program. Yes, just like a workout program at the gym.